Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
What a day this is! Here in Charlotte, after many days of rain and gray skies, the sun is shining. Squirrels are scampering. Birds are chirping. We are alive. If you are reading this, then not only do you have access to a powerful piece of technology of some kind, but you also have access to the internet. Those things alone are worthy of thanksgiving. What are you rejoicing about today? Name three or four things that you are grateful for out loud – and give God thanks as you do so.
One thing we can rejoice about and give thanks for today is that the work on the Hearth Community Center continues.
There is a beam outside the construction site on Park Road that will be hoisted up to the top of the new building tomorrow morning at 10 am – in what is known in the construction world as “the topping out” ceremony. That ceremony will stream live tomorrow morning at 10. Please click on this link then to watch the proceedings.
You are invited to go by the church anytime today to sign that beam. Add your name. Add a prayer. And a word of gratitude and rejoicing. There are Sharpies there, but you are welcome to bring your own Sharpie in any color to add your message of hope and praise.
This evening, I will host Preacher’s Porch in anticipation of the final sermon in this Black History Month walk through Habakkuk. We will consider Habakkuk chapter 3, verses 2 and 17-19. You are welcome to join me at 7 pm with your reflections, suggestions, and questions. The Zoom link is in the email that brought you here. Or you can reach out to me directly at gailnhb@caldwellpresby.org for the link.
Friends, this is the day that the Lord has made. We can rejoice in it. We are invited to rejoice in it. I pray that each of us will set aside time to rejoice and give our generous and gracious God thanks and praise, even now.
Speaking of which, I want to take a moment to remind you of our Lenten theme – Even Now. During the remaining weeks of Lent, we will read and ponder the Scriptures we preach from, the music we sing, and our online gathers with those words in mind. What does it mean to rejoice in this, the day that the Lord has made – even now? What does it mean to ponder the final days and weeks of Jesus’ life on earth – even now? How does Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday matter to us – even now? As we approach Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Christ’s death on the cross and his glorious resurrection, we can ask ourselves what those events mean to us – even now. How will you deepen your relationship with God and broaden your faith practices in this beautiful, topsy-turvy, hope-hungry, heart-broken, Covid-constrained world – even now?
I pray that your connection with our Creator God, our Loving Lord, and our Sustaining Spirit will encourage and strengthen you during these weeks of Lent, in the midst of all we are in the midst of, even now.
Grace and peace, Gail